


Orchestral excerpts

by cubpen



Series: Polyphony [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Classical Music, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Music, Classical Music, M/M, Musicians, POV Multiple, Piano
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-06-21 15:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15560352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cubpen/pseuds/cubpen
Summary: Backstories, side stories, and everything in between fromA Symphony in a Year.





	1. After all that kissing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place right after chapter 18.

**1\. "Making out makes me hungry, okay?"**

Oikawa's stomach growls loud and clear once they step out into the living room.

"Food first, piano later," Iwaizumi says firmly. He heads for the kitchen.

"'kay." 

Iwaizumi turns right back around and checks Oikawa for a fever. "That's the first time you ever said yes to that sentence. I definitely should've made out with you earlier."

"Shut up!"

 

* * *

 

**2\. A new superpower**

Oikawa finds a comfortable spot on the sofa while Iwaizumi deals with snacks in the kitchen. "Iwa-chan," he calls, "get me a glass of water while you're at it."

"Get it yourself, lazy," Iwaizumi replies. He finishes making the last sandwich and looks around for a plate.

"Come onnn," Oikawa urges. "You're  _right there_. It's not like I'm telling you 'go fetch' or anything."

Iwaizumi pauses and thinks hard. "Oh," he says. "Yeah, my bad, I kinda said that without thinking. It's like a reflex or something."

He comes into the living room, and when he's within range Oikawa throws an empty juice box at him. "Why is that your default answer?" he squawks. "That's really  _quite_  rude, if we're gonna do this you really need to find some manner _mmmgggffff_ —"

Iwaizumi swoops down and kisses Oikawa mid-rant. As soon as the kiss deepens, he pulls back and sets the plate of food down on the coffee table. "Sorry 'bout that. Want a sandwich?" he asks.

Oikawa covers his face with his hands. "... apology accepted... ham, please. And you can have the beer in the fridge, if you want it."

"Wow. This is _awesome_ ," Iwaizumi says, almost reverently.

Though Oikawa's face is still very, very red, he moves one hand away just to scoff properly. "It's just a sandwich. And a little modesty goes a long way."

Iwaizumi laughs. "Yeah, I'm not talkin' about the food."

 

* * *

 

**3\. Takeda-sensei's hangover cure**

Iwaizumi watches Oikawa plop a twisty straw into the glass full of dark liquid. It sinks veeeery slowly to the bottom.

"Iwa-chan. This isn't black sugar syrup or something that sweet, right? Ugh. That would be so gross." Oikawa shudders for effect.

Iwaizumi shakes his head. "Nope, it's definitely not that." He tries to sound like he's not about to implode from holding his laughter in. But the sight of the "hangover cure" filling the straw and the way Oikawa's cheeks start to puff out as he drinks makes him double over—

Oikawa is still drinking.

Iwaizumi goes from amused to confused to five-seconds-away-from-freaking-out. "Oi, don't drink that much, stupid! Seriously, you're gonna get food poisoning or something. Here, spit it out—"

(But when has Oikawa ever listened to him?)

Oikawa swallows with a huge gulp.

"Oikawa," Iwaizumi says slowly, carefully, "You. Drank it."

Oikawa sticks his tongue out. It's stained black. "Don't bring stuff over if you don't want me to drink it~" He waves the new-empty glass in front of Iwaizumi to taunt him. It smells like sewage. "Oh, did you want some of that? Well, _too bad_. For the record, it was _de-li-cious._ " 

Iwaizumi presses his lips together to keep himself from laughing. "N-no, that was all for you..." 

"It... what? Oh. It was?" Oikawa says, sounding a little bit embarrassed. "Seriously, what's in this?" he asks, now fascinated by the dregs at the bottom of the glass. "I can usually tell, but this is... complicated. Must've been hard to make."

Iwaizumi coughs. Ingredient-shopping aside, it took a blender and less than 60 seconds.

Their eyes meet. Iwaizumi sees Oikawa all starry-eyed and sparkly and promptly smushes his hand into Oikawa's face. "GAH Oikawa p-put your face away stop looking at me like save that for your damn cat!"

And then unspoken words catch in Iwaizumi's throat when all of a sudden there are legs across his lap and arms around his neck. "Thank you for being here" breezes past his ear, and impossibly soft lips gently press against his own.

The kiss tastes like it came from the compost bin. 

 _The things you do for love_ , Iwaizumi thinks, and pulls Oikawa closer.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After all that kissing... is more kissing. 
> 
> #2 is lifted from Gusari's _Ano machi ni sunderu karera no koto,_ because she's the queen of domestic iwaoi.
> 
> PS. Not every chapter will be this short! I have the biggest writer's block ever, hoping to make that go away with side stories. Wish me luck;;


	2. When the three of them became a trio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place between chapters 4 and 5.

As the newest accompanist in Ukai's studio, Yachi's first assignment is to—in Ukai's words—"live, eat, and breathe ensemble music." In more concrete terms, her task is to observe other students' lessons, rehearsals, and performances every day for two weeks. Today, her first stop is to watch the newly-formed Kuribayashi-Hanamaki-Iwaizumi trio. 

As she and Iwaizumi head towards the rehearsal room, Iwaizumi asks, "You sure you really wanna listen to us? We haven't been playing together that long. ... Or that well," he adds with a resigned sort of chuckle. 

"Oh, no! I mean, no that's okay!" Yachi insists. "I'm sure you sound great! And it's about seeing how other people work together!"

Iwaizumi scratches his head. "If you say so. But we should double check with Kuribayashi-san to make sure she's okay with it too. I think she's getting _more_ shy, not less. She's hardly said a word since we started rehearsing."

A pang of anxiety hits Yachi. An ensemble with poor communication, like the almost-disastrous Kageyama Tobio and Kozume Kenma duet she'd observed earlier this week, simply can't function. _I hope Kuribayashi-san opens up soon,_ she thought. 

Then again, that's easy to say from the sidelines. _If I were in her position... I'd be nervous too_.  _Iwaizumi-san and Hanamaki-san are so tall! And Iwaizumi-san might not look like the most approachable person..._

They arrive early. Yachi settles in a spot in the back of the room, and Iwaizumi warms up on the piano with a soft, delicate piece _._

Hanamaki comes in and starts unpacking his cello. "You're playing _Liebestraum_ ,[1] right? 'Love's Dream'? Never took you for a romantic," he snickers.

The piano's sound shifts into something a little bit crooked and weird.

Hanamaki looks up and gives Iwaizumi a sly grin. "Shit man, you're blushing!"

"What? No—" One of Iwaizumi's hands flies to his cheeks ( _But he's still playing with his other hand!_ Yachi notices.) "... It's just warm in here." He starts playing again and tries to turn his head away to hide his face.

The cellist laughs and takes a seat. "Mind if I jump in? What key is this?"

"Pick whatever you want. According to Oikawa, I could use the practice." Iwaizumi snorts and laughs a little, like he just told a good joke.

Hanamaki stares at him for a moment, then shrugs. "D's easiest for me."

Iwaizumi's improvises a few measures to make the key change, all while gathering anticipation and intensity—building a grand stage from which the cello will sing.

"I like his style," Hanamaki says to himself. "No wonder Oikawa's into this guy."

 

* * *

 

Hanamaki Takahiro: fourth year, cello performance, winner of last year's concerto competition. Yachi thinks of him as something like a force of nature; his winning performance was brash, chaotic, explosive, and blew the audience away like a hurricane.

His long arms give him more leverage with his bow than most others; he skillfully wields a kind of power that many do not possess. There's an undercurrent of strength even in music that calls for gentle touches and expressions of sorrow: gentle, yes, but certain, with no hesitation; pain and sorrow, but filled with determination and ready to rise again.

So she's not surprised when he begins like someone declaring their love from the top of a mountain. 

Meanwhile, the piano follows each of the cello's notes with little rising and falling arpeggios. Every time she hears this piece, she feels like the piano's just constantly chasing the melody with tiny, hopeful footsteps but always falling behind. A depressing thought for a piece called "Love's Dream."

But no—it becomes clear when someone like Hanamaki is the soloist and Iwaizumi his support. They _connect_  as one.

Here, the cello is the dancer and the piano her gown. All eyes are on her. She dances across the ballroom floor with both elegance and dignity, while the lace on the hem of her skirt sways to and fro in time with her steps to add a flourish to every move.

They're ready to repeat the main theme. "You want a go?" Hanamaki asks.

Iwaizumi smiles.

The piano's melody is soft and sweet, and Hanamaki follows suit. The cellist is no longer a raging storm but the pristine serenity that follows after a blizzard. His music is a bed of soft, fresh snow, a blank slate that lets the piano make its mark while supporting it underneath.

(Yachi is inside the old house she shared with her mom before they came to the city, the two of them cozy and warm with cups of hot chocolate. They're looking out the window and watching snow fall on New Year's Day, thinking about the past year and the year to come.)

As for Iwaizumi—Yachi has only ever heard his music flow and sing like this when he's playing alone. He's still a bit hesitant, here, holding something back. But little by little, as piano and cello walk together, he's starting to get _that_ look on his face—

_Cl-cl-clcclack!_

Kuribayashi Runa stands just inside the doorway, hugging her clarinet case to her chest. An entire box's worth of reeds are scattered on the ground. She's crying—her tears fall freely and her lip trembles, but she doesn't hide them.

Hanamaki is next to her in a flash. He doesn't bother putting his cello and bow down. 

"Hey, did something happen? Do you need to call someone? Do I need to punch Oikawa or Kageyama in the face?"

Her eyes go wide at Hanamaki's reaction, thinks for a moment, smiles. "You'll hurt your hand," she says through a little laugh. Yachi's there with a pack of tissues, now.

"Noted," Hanamaki replies. "Do I need to _kick_ someone's ass?"

She's giggling this time—her eyes are red and a little puffy, but the tears are gone. She takes a deep, long breath and explains, "I'm sorry for crying, I just, really love this piece because my mom used to play it for me and my brother." She rubs her eyes with the heel of her hand. "And... this is the first time I've heard someone play it like you just did. Like my mom, I mean. It's like..."

Everyone waits patiently for her to gather her words.

"Like being loved and being home," she says. 

To be polite, Yachi pretends not to see Hanamaki blushing. Instead, she picks up the reeds and hands them to Kuribayashi. "Sorry... I don't know if you can still use these."

"Hey do you, uh," Hanamaki splutters. "If you need a new box I have a car? To drive? To the music store? I need rosin anyway so—"

Iwaizumi starts playing again. This time, he acts like an orchestra, left hand emulating french horns singing over a lovely and familiar melody from the woodwinds.[2]

"A soundtrack for your moment," Iwaizumi calls over the piano.

The two girls giggle.

Hanamaki turns red. He laughs, despite his best efforts not to. "Fuck off, Iwaizumi."

The rest of the rehearsal is far from perfect. But the ice is broken, the musicians work hard, and there's laughter (plus a little bit of something else) in the air.  

Yachi closes her notebook with a satisfied smile. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 [Liebestraum No. 3, cello transcription](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW_MAQj0aIA) (Franz Liszt) _Liebesträume,_ or "dreams of love," is a set of 3 solo piano works that depict different types of love. The third and most famous piece is about unconditional love.  [return to text]
> 
> 2 [Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmLsvQaxw3g&t=532s) (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) [return to text]  
> 


	3. Best frenemies forever <3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or: why Kuroo and Oikawa are... they way they are.

At Momogaoka, flex recitals are the classical music version of open mic nights for any student who signs up. The final performance of today's recital is Kuroo Tetsurou with the flashy, exciting, and virtuosic _Carmen Fantasy_ by Pablo de Sarasate. With the pompous pizzazz of a bullfighter, the vibrance of the people of Seville, and the sensuality of the gypsy Carmen herself, the violinist puts on an unforgettable show. 

After the performance, Oikawa, Yachi, and Hanamaki join Kuroo for a celebratory post-recital coffee in the school cafe.

"Nice job up there," Oikawa says loftily. Then through a evil-looking sneer, he adds, "I especially  _loved_ the parts where your accompanist was the only one playing. Shibayama, was it? Sounds great without all that screechy violin noise in the background."

A vein on Kuroo's left temple twitches. "I'm sure I would've enjoyed Yachi-san's performance if the two of you had played today, Oikawa. Oh, wait—it would've been _so_ cruel of your teacher to let you perform before your piece was ready."

Yachi looks at Hanamaki with a confused and anxious expression. "But," she whispers, "Oikawa-san's been ready—"

Hanamaki sighs and shakes his head. "Just let them be idiots together, my friend."

Meanwhile, Oikawa smiles and crushes the empty coffee cup in his hand. " _Your_ teacher must've been so proud of that little bit of improvisation at the end. Very modern interpretation of a piece written in the 19th century. Have you been talking to Sugawara?"

Kuroo brings his face dangerously close to Oikawa's. "I missed _three_ notes, Oikawa. And yeah, I _have_ been talking to Suga-chan. Funny, he says _you_ can't improvise a solo to save your life."

Oikawa doesn't back down. Without blinking or looking away, he gives Kuroo a narrow-eyed smirk while both his hand and Kuroo's flounder on the table for something pour on each other's heads.

Hanamaki hooks his finger onto the back collar of Oikawa's shirt and tugs. " _Oh_ -kay, time for your nap, boys. You're gonna make Yacchan cry if you keep going."

Sure enough, Yachi is sitting there with watery eyes and softly chanting to herself. It sounds something like, " _How do I get them to stop fighting but it's none of my business still both of them play so beautifully I don't understand is this what fourth year will be like oh no I'll definitely die if—"_

Oikawa and Kuroo pull back and turn their heads in opposite directions with a sharp jerk and a _hmph_.

"Dude," Hanamaki says. "I thought you were over the whole Misaki thing forever ago. It's been how many years, now? Why do you two still act like fu—dge... that's... been sitting out for a week?"

"Huh?" Oikawa and Kuroo say together. 

"What does fudge have to do with me and the chicken head?" Oikawa asks. 

"Oikawa was over Misaki _before_ they broke up," Kuroo explains. He looks at Oikawa, and his voice drops into a quiet, serious tone for just a few moments. "You don't have a problem with me and Misaki, do you?" 

Oikawa scoffs. "'Course not. She's better off with you anyway."

It's Hanamaki's turn to be confused. "Then—" 

"It was the first day of school in high school," Oikawa and Kuroo begin in unison...

 

* * *

 

From his seat in the first violin section just before orchestra rehearsal, Tooru could hear it all. 

"Sounds like crap," he said, listening to the French horn warming up.

"Out of tune," he observed, cringing at the violinist sitting several rows behind him.

"I'd rather listen to an ambulance," he grumbled, wishing he could take off his school blazer and stuff it into the second trombonist's bell. 

Oikawa Tooru, first year at Tokyo Music Preparatory Academy (violin concentration), sighed and begrudgingly accepted his new life. Paris and piano were behind him, now. Gone were the peaceful afternoons alone, playing Chopin etudes in a practice room at the Conservatory. He'd traded that for...

"Kshhhh!"

"Vwooom... vwooom..."

"Hiii-yah!"

Two boys were having a lightsaber battle with their bows. 

"Noisy _and_ immature," Tooru said under his breath.

"Pfft. Heh."

Tooru spun around in his seat to find a violinist—still in junior high, by the looks of his uniform—snickering silently, with his shoulders shaking up and down. His face was mostly hidden by his chin-length hair. 

"Lame, right?" Tooru asked, pointing a finger at the wannabe Jedis.

The junior high violinist shrugged.

"Hey, what's your name? I'm To—I mean, Oikawa. Tooru." Tooru frowned at himself for already slipping back into Parisian habits.  _That part of my life is over_ , he thought.

The other boy mumbled something.

"What was that?"

"Oi, what are you doing in my stand partner's seat?" A voice demanded. 

Tooru turned around. 

Jedi Number One was standing there, violin and bow/lightsaber in hand, scowling at Tooru. He was a tall, dark-haired boy wearing the high school uniform and sporting a serious case of bedhead. 

"You're in Kenma's seat," the boy said. "Move it, come on."

"Who the hell is Kenma?" Tooru demanded. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"

"Kuroo Tetsurou," the boy replied. He took a seat and put his music on the stand, right on top of Tooru's.

That was when Tooru realized something: Kuroo had just sat down in the third chair of the section, right next to him. The _fourth_ chair. 

_I have to sit next to this guy all year and turn pages for him?_ [1]

_Wait, more importantly, this chicken-headed asshole is better than me??_

"Kuro, it's fine, yesterday—" the boy in junior high began behind him, but he was interrupted when Tooru extracted his music from behind Kuroo's and placed it on top with a loud  _smack._

Kuroo's hand twitched. He took a pencil out of his bag and knocked Tooru's pencil off the music stand. 

"Oops, my bad," he said. 

Tooru retrieved his pencil and put it on top of Kuroo's.

Kuroo put an eraser on top of the pencils.

The boy behind them sighed.

"Kuro," he said, pointing at Tooru. "He's a transfer student, so he just auditioned yesterday. He's in the right seat; I got pushed back."

Kuroo squinted at Tooru. 

"I don't accept it," he said. "Kenma's better than you."

"So you're Kenma?" Tooru asked with a sideways glance. The boy behind him nodded.

"Kenma has better  _hair_ than you," Tooru concluded. 

" _Ahem_ ," said a voice in front of them. It was the concertmaster. "Rehearsal is starting,  _first-years._ "

While the concertmaster tuned the orchestra, Kuroo squinted at Tooru's music. 

"Your fingerings[2] are weird," he said. "Mine are better. Here." He grabs his music from the bottom of the pile on the stand and puts it on top of Tooru's. 

Tooru sniffed. He read through Kuroo's music, silently playing his violin with his left hand following Kuroo's fingerings.

"I can't reach this," Tooru scowled. "I don't have freakishly big hands like you do."

"Oh," Kuroo replied. "I guess you can add _your_ fingerings for your tiny baby hands."

"I do not have 'tiny baby hands'—"

The concertmaster turned around and smacked  _his_ music on top of Tooru's and Kuroo's. " _Official_ fingerings. Copy them. _And shut up, first-years._ "

Tooru and Kuroo looked meekly at the concertmaster, then at each other. 

"Oi, you got us in trouble," Kuroo whispered. 

"No,  _you_ did," Tooru whispered back. 

The concertmaster turned back around with a growl. 

"... sorry," said Tooru and Kuroo.

Behind them, Kenma sighed a long-suffering sigh. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The piece that Kuroo played at the beginning of the chapter doesn't really have anything to do with the story, but here it is anyway! It's the same one Kiyora played in her last concert with Rising Star in Nodame Cantabile: [Carmen Fantasy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGbpxTgbMdg) (Pablo de Sarasate)
> 
> * * *
> 
> 1 ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ All about orchestra seating ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ  
> \- Each position (chair) in an orchestra section is numbered, with the best player being number 1. The first chair violinist is also known as the concertmaster/concertmistress.  
> \- In a violin section, seats are arranged like this:  
> <\- back of the stage ... audience ->  
> 2 1  
> 4 3  
> 6 5 etc.  
> \- Two players sitting next to each other share a music stand and are called stand partners.  
> \- The even numbered person always turns the pages for their stand partner. There are exceptions, but not doing so on purpose is considered rude and immature. [return to text]
> 
> 2 The numbers you write in music to indicate which finger to use to play a note. [return to text]


	4. The intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This happens before chapter 11.

In one of the theory classrooms, all eyes are on Iwaizumi.

And Iwaizumi is frowning at the giant sign Sugawara and Mina just taped on the whiteboard.

~INTERVENTION~

"We all love you very much, and we just want you to be happy," says Mina.

"But we need to know something, _anything_ about what happened, so that we can talk," adds Sugawara.

...

...

"Wait a minute, this is for me!?" Iwaizumi jumps in his chair and curses when he knees the bottom of the desk.

"Look, man," Hanamaki says. "As the Oikawa ambassador here, I'm gonna say it straight: it was his fault. I don't know what it was, but if Oikawa's involved, I'm not even gonna throw a 'probably' or '99.9%' in there."

"... even I think that's a little harsh," Sugawara says.

"Nah, ask Kuroo, Misaki, or Kenma. We're the only people at this school who knew Oikawa in high school, and we can all vouch for the fact that he's a 7-year veteran at having shit for brains when it comes to feelings—crap I mean crap no fuck ahh Jesus Christ CUSTARD!"

Everybody stares at him.

Runa speaks up for the first time. "You know you don't have to worry about language when it's about Oikawa-san, right?"

Hanamaki's face goes blank. And then, he yells, "Yeah! Awesome! Thanks, Runa," he says.

"I'm really happy you're trying, though." She smiles.

Hanamaki does a fist-pump. "Yussss, double play!"

Meanwhile, Mina whispers to Sunakawa, "Does being Oikawa's best friend make you like, you know—" She points to her head and makes little circles with her finger.

"Too loud, Mina," Sunakawa replies.

Hanamaki squints at her. "... Are you insulting me, Oikawa, or both?"

"Both," she answers.

Sunakawa grabs the rest of her cupcake and eats it in one bite.

"Hey!" She elbows him. "You don't even like chocolate!"

"Say what you will about Oikawa-san, but don't be rude to a nice person like Hanamaki-san."

"Sorry~ Then what about, 'Hanamaki-san, I'm sorry you're suffering from the side effects of being Oikawa-san's best friend?'" Mina asks.

"Works for me," says Sunakawa.

Hanamaki nods. "I say that to myself all the time."

Sugawara shakes his head. "Sorry if this is too forward, because I don't really know your boyfriend that well, Runa-chan. But this goes for you two, too," he says, pointing at Mina and Sunakawa. "Having an Oikawa clause in your relationships is mean. And ridiculous."

A few faces turn pink.

Iwaizumi, who's sitting with his elbows on his desk and his hands supporting his head, turns a bit to address everyone else. "His boyfriend's not allowed to drink when Oikawa's around."

"That's kinda intense, man," says Hanamaki.  
Runa frowns. "I don't get it."  
"Not a bad idea," Sunakawa says to himself.  
Mina starts cackling with laughter. "Oh my God Oikawa-san's not gonna steal your boyfriend!"

"Wh—no—I just want Daichi to, you know, be aware of his surroundings! Shut up." Sugawara sits and puts his head down on the desk. "And you!" he yells, turning to face Iwaizumi. "NOW you decide to talk?"

Iwaizumi grins. "Sorry, man. This is like, your only weakness though. We need _something_ to make fun of you for."

Sugawara glances at him from the corner of his eye. "You're talking and smiling, at least," he says.

"Seriously?" Iwaizumi asks. "I must look pretty bad if your standards for me are that low." He laughs a little, means it as a joke, but everyone either frowns or looks away.

He sighs. "An intervention. I appreciate it, I guess, but it's all on me."

Sugawara frowns.

"It's not some big drawn out thing," Iwaizumi says. "I like him. A lot."

Hanamaki stares at him. "Whoa, man. That was... straightforward."

"But I can't, uh, right now, I can't do what he wants me to. I don't even think I'm the type of person who can."

There's a long beat of silence before Hanamaki speaks up. "I... should go. If it's this kind of thing... he's my best friend. If he asked me about this, I'd tell him. Better not to know, yeah?"

"Good call," Sugawara says. "Thanks for helping out."

Hanamaki shrugs. He waves goodbye to everyone and leaves the room with Runa.

Sugawara turns back to Iwaizumi. "Okay, so, no. There are so many things wrong with what you said. Why would you even think that?"

"Well, he wants me to be his accompanist. And I just can't do that. I'm really not good enough—"

"Stop saying that!"

"... anyway, I turned him down. And now I think he's avoiding me, or something. I don't know. But it's fine, guys. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but—"

"He stopped talking to you because of  _that?!_ " Mina squawked. "That's awful!"

Sugawara pulls Mina aside. "All right, here's what we're gonna do. Let's go have a little talk with Oikawa..."


End file.
